Town of Newburgh

The present towns of Newburgh and New Windsor, up to 1763, were known and designated as the Precinct of the Highlands. By virtue of a law of the Governor, Council and General Assembly of the Province of New York, previously passed, the Precinct of the Highlands was ordered to be divided into two,—which was executed in that year—one called the Precinct of Newburgh, and the other the Precinct of New Windsor.

The surface of the town is highly diversified—stony, and broken by high hills, though free from any mountain elevation. The direction of the hills partakes of the physical nature of the County, and runs north and south. The surface lies generally pretty high above the water of the Hudson— for the Big Pond or Orange Lake, in the western part, is about five hundred feet above the river; the water of which can, without deep excavation, be carried in a canal to the village of Montgomery and poured into the Walkill. The soil along the river is warm, productive and extremely well cultivated. The fences which enclose these farms are in good condition, the fields clear of stone, free from bushes, and smooth as a lawn. The farm houses are neat and well painted, and the appearance of the whole makes a favorable impression on the traveller. Further west the lands have not so deep or warm a soil, and require more laborious culture. Passing through this part of the town, and in the vicinity of the Lake, we were most agreeably surprised on observing a manifest improvement in the general appearance since we saw it a few years since. The farms around and in the vicinity of the Lake are of a fair quality of soil, and in a profitable state of agriculture.

So large a market town as the village of Newburgh, to which every agricultural product can be carried in a few hours and sold for cash, or transported to the city for a better market still, has a stimulating and controlling effect—inducing the owners to clear up the stony hills and vallies of this region, clothe them with grass and grain, and cover them with flocks and herds. These locaIities, though rough and forbidding in a state of nature, yet lying well to the sun and bountifully supplied with water, when once thoroughly subdued and cleared of stone, yield good crops of all kinds.— The soil rests on a harder stratum, than other more beautiful lands, holds the moisture longer, and is less affected by drought, and, for the same reason, requires less manure.— These elevations, however, are proper subjects for prepared manures, the materials for which abound in the vicinity, and almost cry aloud upon their owners, for stimulating nourishment of the kind. Hilly lands are subject to a continued drainage of their fertilizing properties, and the rains, dews, and snows, which bless and enrich the values and low grounds, are scarcely felt in their benign influences, comparatively, on these more elevated situations. The hills and high grounds are to he fed and taken care of, the lower situations are provided for, or will take care of themselves, for they receive one half of all the genial fertilizing influences, bestowed by man and nature, upon their more elevated neighbors. Upon the whole, we are of opinion that this Town is rapidly advancing in all the departments of profitable farming. Few are threaded throughout, by it greater number of creeks and brooks, gently murmuring as they wind a devious way to visit and mingle their waters with the Hudson. By the State census of 1845, the population was 9,001—4,300 males, 4,701 females—14 churches, 24 clergymen, 23 physicians, and 23 attorneys.

The town took its name from the village of Newburgh, and is of Saxon origin. New is from Neow, meaning new, not old, and burgh from burg, a corporate town, not a city, but such as sends Burgesses to Parliament. Hence Borough a town, Burgage a tenure, and Burgess a citizen. The Dutch Berg, means Hill or Mountain, as Dunderberg, Thunder Hill, Catsberg, the Catskill Mountains.

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Table of Contents Town of Newburgh Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Orange County AHGP/ALHN New York AHGP/ALHN AHGP ALHN	History of Orange County
	Town of Newburgh The present towns of Newburgh and New Windsor, up to 1763, were known and designated as the Precinct of the Highlands. By virtue of a law of the Governor, Council and General Assembly of the Province of New York, previously passed, the Precinct of the Highlands was ordered to be divided into two,—which was executed in that year—one called the Precinct of Newburgh, and the other the Precinct of New Windsor. The surface of the town is highly diversified—stony, and broken by high hills, though free from any mountain elevation. The direction of the hills partakes of the physical nature of the County, and runs north and south. The surface lies generally pretty high above the water of the Hudson— for the Big Pond or Orange Lake, in the western part, is about five hundred feet above the river; the water of which can, without deep excavation, be carried in a canal to the village of Montgomery and poured into the Walkill. The soil along the river is warm, productive and extremely well cultivated. The fences which enclose these farms are in good condition, the fields clear of stone, free from bushes, and smooth as a lawn. The farm houses are neat and well painted, and the appearance of the whole makes a favorable impression on the traveller. Further west the lands have not so deep or warm a soil, and require more laborious culture. Passing through this part of the town, and in the vicinity of the Lake, we were most agreeably surprised on observing a manifest improvement in the general appearance since we saw it a few years since. The farms around and in the vicinity of the Lake are of a fair quality of soil, and in a profitable state of agriculture. So large a market town as the village of Newburgh, to which every agricultural product can be carried in a few hours and sold for cash, or transported to the city for a better market still, has a stimulating and controlling effect—inducing the owners to clear up the stony hills and vallies of this region, clothe them with grass and grain, and cover them with flocks and herds. These locaIities, though rough and forbidding in a state of nature, yet lying well to the sun and bountifully supplied with water, when once thoroughly subdued and cleared of stone, yield good crops of all kinds.— The soil rests on a harder stratum, than other more beautiful lands, holds the moisture longer, and is less affected by drought, and, for the same reason, requires less manure.— These elevations, however, are proper subjects for prepared manures, the materials for which abound in the vicinity, and almost cry aloud upon their owners, for stimulating nourishment of the kind. Hilly lands are subject to a continued drainage of their fertilizing properties, and the rains, dews, and snows, which bless and enrich the values and low grounds, are scarcely felt in their benign influences, comparatively, on these more elevated situations. The hills and high grounds are to he fed and taken care of, the lower situations are provided for, or will take care of themselves, for they receive one half of all the genial fertilizing influences, bestowed by man and nature, upon their more elevated neighbors. Upon the whole, we are of opinion that this Town is rapidly advancing in all the departments of profitable farming. Few are threaded throughout, by it greater number of creeks and brooks, gently murmuring as they wind a devious way to visit and mingle their waters with the Hudson. By the State census of 1845, the population was 9,001—4,300 males, 4,701 females—14 churches, 24 clergymen, 23 physicians, and 23 attorneys. The town took its name from the village of Newburgh, and is of Saxon origin. New is from Neow, meaning new, not old, and burgh from burg, a corporate town, not a city, but such as sends Burgesses to Parliament. Hence Borough a town, Burgage a tenure, and Burgess a citizen. The Dutch Berg, means Hill or Mountain, as Dunderberg, Thunder Hill, Catsberg, the Catskill Mountains. 974th